Leclerc Attacks the Digital Ebook Market

The group of independent distributors will offer 170,000 titles and commercialize its own ebook reader …

Leclerc attacks the eBook. The independent distributors group said on Wednesday it was embarking on the digital book market with an offer of 170,000 books, and marketing its own ebook reader in partnership with the French manufacturer Bookeen.

Already 60,000 references of books on physical cultural market

Leclerc has a strong presence in the markets of culture, via its large general surfaces in stores and also through its specialized sections “Cultural Spaces Leclerc” (215 stores), the second largest market behind France Fnac.

They have a substantial number of references on the physical cultural market – each area has about 60,000 reference books, 10,000 reference discs, 4,500 references and 2,000 video gaming, but the group had not invested so far in the digital book market.

Leclerc will compete with Apple, Amazon and Fnac

In France, the main eBook distribution networks is the Apple with iBook, Amazon with the Kindle Store and the website of Fnac with the Kobo ebook. Retail side, Carrefour launched its digital books since October 2013, also by developing its ebook reader, Nolim in partnership with Bookeen.

“On the right of the battle line Leclerc Cultural Spaces to democratize access to books, we wanted to offer our customers a complete, innovative and alternative around the digital book,” said Hugo Belit, national manager of Cultural Spaces Leclerc, cited in the press .

Ebook readers of 69.90 euros to 99.90 euros

The ebook readers offered by Leclerc, the Cybook and the Cybook Muse Frontlight, are offered at prices of 69.90 euros and 99.90 euros, exactly the same price range as the ebook reader of Carrefour. Amazon recently launched a new model, more accessible in terms of prices, its Kindle ebook at the price of 99.99 euros.

In France, the digital book market is still underdeveloped, representing only 6% of the book market, to 121 million euros in 2014, against 20% in the United States.According to PwC, its development is expected to remain limited in the coming years, and should not exceed 13% of the general public book market by 2019, to 214 million euros, with an average annual growth rate among lowest in Western Europe. At the same time, the penetration of digital books in 2019 should reach 59% in the US, 57% in the UK and 21% in Spain, said the audit firm.